New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-19
NEW PUBLICATIONS
!, oo,v ov THE VOLUNTEER SOLDIER

,oa.y ON THE VOLUNTEER SOLDIER
sosp Msso OF Of M suisc .sa
sSI,itsry "reminiscences from General Logan na fs
Journal. r. 6. Peslo Co. s'o' PIP. 7oo'
General Logan's part in this work merits serr
ana attention. 1t is not quite fortunate tna' MS
discussion of q grave national question ID in'fo'
auced by O personal memoir, from announcer pen
IN which extravaeances Of expression are NOV IN
freouent while the tone toward other ui'.n'
c,nsbed soldiers is such as to excite uhirienNv
criticism. The work from Generai Loeahs PEI.
IL not marrcd by harsh or unkindly word Oow"iu
any of his former comrades In arms. "nv
,ne,;ts he bonors without stint even while CRU
.,.;r Tho svstcm Of which they are illustrations.
In n,ctorial and typographical respects the DooN
=. ~ worthy of the distinguished soldier. Inc
n,ctures are neither very artistic nor very IN
lie General Logan's plea for justice 10 'he
volunteer soldier would have oecn oe'
ciated without such accessories
T,;s vvorlr WAS penned with CONSCIOUSNESS
.ho+ Il womb by some be unfavoraoiy Juugeu'
Mors than once the author refers 10 Vic oii"'
which some unfricndly voice Will surely uVoci'
.ho+ nnrsonal disappointment or animosly nave
,,,on,nted his censures of West Point influence
and metbods But he appeals TO the sense Vi
iusticc of the American people, shows that ne mas
nothing to gain or to lose whether min'',iy
academy is sustained or not, ana arrays WV"
great force the facts which support his plea ior
;ustice To the volunteer soldiers ana Sailors
living. he had nothing to gain by his structures
NJ n system which he openly and ably opposeo
dead he speals with the right to be fairy heau
by the countrymen whom he so hearuly ~u'.eu
r. viii, he as easy for O cheen criticism TO I'M
pupn General Logan's motives as 1T ever mas ocen
for men with not a 1.-THE Of his ability 10 sheei
at his literary infelicitcs and inaccuracies. Ae
a critical period in his military career ueheiai
Logan was denied a promotion when nc iei' n0
had fairly won and which General ohermah' III
letters now published, admits that ne hau uo
served This seems to him but paft oi tie 0on
slant misuse of West Point influence throuen
which General IIalleck was SO long sunereu "
make the Western army the laughing StocR oi oii0
Confederates. and to heap unmerlted ihjusu0o
unon General Grant and other wortmer meh. nu0
General Logan displayed, when his sense VI ihJu'
tice was most fresh and keen, nopie pa'rio'i'n'
which, separated him far from some other soiai'i'
An Tho service. whose zeal depended upon their
pc.scnai advancement or thai OIL 'neir Aie
General sherman, right after the appointment Oh
General Howard. wrote to Logan of the position
refps, d e. him. III you will be patient 1t Will
tire confidence In his memoirs Sherman had
saia az regarded both General Logan and Blair
nc volunteers, that looked to personal fame ana
Glory as auxiliary and secondary to their poliucal
ambition But he learned from General Logan
himself not long before Logan's death, that MS
nart;cination in political campaigns during the
,yar had been at the personal request OF fresloeht
1inco,n So the time has come when people, APP
rreciotnc the patriotic conduct OF General Logan
NAV realize that his earnest argument cannot
fairly no iudgcd as the outcome OF personal plque
General Logan's history of the establishment
nj tho Military and Naval Academy is OF value as
a history. because enriched with full cltauons
from documents not now easily accessible. IL
brings out clearly the fact that the Naval Academy
was never authorized by legislation unul IL hao
bcen established by President Polk, and that the
Military Academy. barely authorized by three
yapue and brief sections passed as compromise
after the plan had been several times de1eateo
soon grew to be something very dlnereh' Iron
the institution contemplated by Congress. With
great fulness of detail, the expenses OF each lhsI
tuition from the first are given, ana the humoel
of scholars rom different sections IS compared
with the population. In lists impressive by theiI
lenp,b and mnuteness Of information, the names
NJ tb,.sc officers of the old army and navy who
proved false to the country In 1861 are arra!ed
The provisions of existing laws respecting Dott
academies are then cited, and especially those
Which virtually close all doors to the military
ana naval service of the country against men VINO
arc not graduates Of those institutions. Farra
cut or Grant of this generator, entering e'the'
service could net hope to reach even the f'wes'
con mission by any achi> sement unless nc mao
hammered first t. be the favorite selected by q
fo-. ,anfo ms a
I.,.s mod. gives to political influence an undue
shar. In the selC Ction but on the other hand the
whole tendency of military and naval training
now is to render officers too indi crent to political
interests in the better sense and mere professional
fighters rather than patriots. This belief General
Logan urges with great earnestness, and he ar
CUES that the genius which makes the best soldier
cannot be produced by any education The
mode of selection does not tend to bring to the
service those who have these peculiar gifts, and
the training of the schools tends to educate out OF
a man the qualities which In actual warfare are
most useful and to transform him into mere ma
chine soldier. With great wealth OF illustration
from the personal histories Of men in bott
branches of the service, General Logan argues
that most Of those to whom the country owes IT.
safety rose without advantages Of West Point o.
Annapolis training, while comparatively few o
the graduates of those institutions have distin
gushed themselves in service
The argument, like that of General I ogan In tn
case of General Porter or in his volume on thu
slaveholding conspiracy, is strong in its massinl
of facts and reasonings, and therefore cannot b.
fairly presented In brief review The worl
must be read in order to be appreciated or efec
lively answered-for it need hardly be said tina
effective answer is possible. The work is not
plea for the abolition Of either academy, thougl
its authors reasoning would point to the con
clusion that their abolition is preferable to thei
continuance with existing provisions Of law
But he would have opportunities for military AM
naval training at the public expense great
broadened and enlarged, SO that chance to ente
III an lis ae a cada no hrou OF